Renowned Gospel, Christian groups in Franklin

The Talleys and Brian Free & Assurance will perform at 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 26, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin.

The Talleys have become one of the most beloved and respected groups in Christian music. The east Tennessee family’s unmistakable style of progressive Southern Gospel has kept them at the forefront of Gospel music for many years. They have enjoyed 10 number one singles. Their most awarded, recognizable and requested songs include such hits as “Searchin’,” “The Healer” and “I Love The Lord.” Their songs and recordings have received awards and nominations from the Dove Awards, Singing News Fan Awards, the Southern Gospel Music Guild Harmony Honors, the BMI Awards and SGN Music Awards.

Brian Free & Assurance’s multiple awards include Favorite Male Singer, Favorite Tenor (a record eight times), Favorite Young Artist (twice), Favorite Horizon Group, Favorite Album (4 God So Loved), and most recently, they received a Dove Award for Southern Gospel Recorded Song, “Long As I Got King Jesus.”

The Naturalist's Corner

Some time around mid-September I added tic number 207 to my 2017 bird list. It was a merlin I saw one afternoon along the Blue Ridge Parkway while I was watching migrating broad-winged hawks. Then — nothing; nothing for a long time.